President Donald Trump is considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle over allegations that she pressured a donor to pay off a large credit card bill, accepted improper gifts and services, and threatened a Greek official.
“We’re looking at it,” Trump told reporters Monday. “We’re not happy.”
The allegations surrounding Guilfoyle emerged last week as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Athens. Rubio reportedly was “extremely pissed off” in their aftermath, particularly because he defended Guilfoyle as a strong ambassador before more accusations were published.
“You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it’s the gospel,” Rubio told reporters Thursday. “It’s not the gospel. It’s not the gospel for me. That’s not the way we do things.”
Through her attorneys, Guilfoyle has denied any wrongdoing. She has claimed that the $100,000 requested from Trump donor Eric Deters for an American Express credit card bill was a payment for services rendered, including public appearances and speaking engagements, and not in exchange for help from the administration for personal tax and legal matters. The request was made prior to Guilfoyle’s Senate confirmation last year, and Deters has denied furnishing the money.
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Guilfoyle’s lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, also denied allegations of impropriety regarding Guilfoyle’s travel on the private planes of energy and construction executives, including to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. They note she “sought, obtained, and followed State Department guidance and followed the Department’s travel regulations.”
In addition, Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality who was engaged to the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., allegedly told guests at a reception that the United States could undermine Greece if it wanted and criticized Greek officials after she was not invited to the country’s event at Davos.